Dust removal the easy way

I just want to share my experience and I don't want to refresh old discussions.

Today I discovered three dust particles on my K-S1's sensor. On pictures first of course.

A magnifying glass did the trick. White specks of dust on the sensor.

I two times did the cameras' sensor cleaning - without success.

Then I carefully used a 1KW vacuum cleaner. Dust particles are gone. These three specific particles forever .

My advice: Before using a blower/adhesive try a vacuum. But be careful!!! Very careful!!!Never ever stick/slide the pipe's end into the cameras' lens hole and beware of coming in there.
Just make shure a distance of approximately 1cm to the front side.
And firstly check the vacuum's power - in relation to distance - with your fingers.

I would agree with cgchang, not a good idea. The moving air on a vacuum hose generates a lot of static electricity. All it will take is one spark and your sensor will be toast. There are vacuums made for electronics and as I understand it the hoses are made of material that does not generate static electricity, at least the good ones, so if you are using something like that you should be safe. Your procedure as described is probably safe as long as you keep the hose far enough away. But much too risky for me, how far away is far enough?

I have done work with industrial dust collection systems and we always ran wires to earth ground with the collection tubing because of the huge amount of static electricity generated. Much more than a home vacuum of course but I've gotten shocked enough to respect and safely ground anything moving air. YMMV of course, but I'll stick with my rocket blower.

Very interesting and serious argument.
But I have never heard about this. Any proof?
BTW - I always have used a VC to clean my PC - fans from dust.
No problems so far.

It is not the same as with a PC, the sensor is much different than a PC. Sure use a vacuum to clean the exterior of the camera but to use it on the sensor would not be something I would do. I have used a rocket blaster for years and it works great.....just an air syringe that cleans the sensor very well.

The standard rule of thumb for electrical discharge is 1 000 V for every 1mm of gap in still air. In moving air it will differ but it is still a guideline. For a 1cm gap between the end of the nozzle and the camera body, it should be about 10 000 V needed to jump that gap, similar to a low voltage electric fence. If someone has a vacuum cleaner and a multimeter.......

Distance between nozzle and body is 1cm but to sensor it is about 5cm.
Both parts, camera body and VC are grounded or let me say at the same electrical level when holding them in my hands.
Therefore, in my opinion, an electrical discharge is extremly unlikely.

Distance between nozzle and body is 1cm but to sensor it is about 5cm. Both parts, camera body and VC are grounded or let me say at the same electrical level when holding them in my hands. Therefore, in my opinion, an electrical discharge is extremly unlikely.

We all do things every day that have a certain amount of risk. And everyone has a different tolerance for risk of different kinds.

Your are entitled to your opinion, I just do not think using a potentially risky solution to a problem that has several other much less risky solutions is a good idea. I do not think I would feel comfortable going on a public forum and advocating something other people (with experience) tell me is dangerous and might ruin peoples' valuable cameras. YMMV.

I don't know how good this trick is but I once used system which had the aluminium sucking end went through brass mesh and they both were grounded.
That device had cost kiloeuros which only means they had good salesman.

Your are entitled to your opinion, I just do not think using a potentially risky solution to a problem that has several other much less risky solutions is a good idea. I do not think I would feel comfortable going on a public forum and advocating something other people (with experience) tell me is dangerous and might ruin peoples' valuable cameras. YMMV.

I agree. What an individual does with his own equipment is his business; however recommending something that could damage other's equipment, is not what I'd recommend, either. There are several very safe methods of cleaning the sensor, that I definitely would never risk mine by using a vacuum.